Friday, November 16, 2012; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: Hidden Valley Nature Center, 131 Egypt Rd, Jefferson, Maine

Contact: Gary Hayward; 586-6752

Website: hvnc.org

Join several Maine Master Naturalist graduates as they explore the trails at HVNC for lichens, those unique organisms consisting of a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and alga, a photosynthetic partner.

Lichens occur in some of the most extreme environments on earth. However, they are also abundant on leaves and branches in rain forests and temperate woodland, on bare rock, including walls and gravestones, and on exposed soil surfaces. Lichens are widespread and may be long-lived but many are also vulnerable to environmental disturbance, and thus are useful in assessing the effects of air pollution. $5 suggested donation.